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Why you won’t want to miss the Singapore Cocktail Festival!

Updated on 27th August 2018 by Anthia Chng|

Are you an Old Fashioned, Gin & Tonic or Margarita drinker? Whichever poison you pick, there’s no discrimination at Asia’s largest celebration of boutique beverages, the Singapore Cocktail Festival! This year, the festival returns from 4 to 13 May for a 10-day bonanza of crafty tipples by the best bars in Singapore, boozy masterclasses, exciting competitions and more.

Bartender Raka Ambarawan from The Night Rooster in Bali

Bar Stories

Caffe Fernet

Nutmeg & Clove

Things to expect

Kicking off the celebration at Empress Lawn (10 Empress Place) is the Festival Village, which will be open from 4pm to 1am on 4 May and 5 May, and from 4pm to 11pm on 6 May. Sip on creative cocktails from over 30 top bars in Singapore, including Smoke & Mirrors, Cin Cin, Bar Stories and Bob’s Bar. From around the region, catch award-winning bartenders including Paul Chan from Dr Fern’s Gin Parlour (Hong Kong), Samuel James Murray from Merivale (Sydney), Brian Lu from Woo Bar (Taipei) and Raka Ambarawan from The Night Rooster (Bali, Indonesia) in action. The best part? Each drink goes for just $12 – an absolute steal in our books!

Apart from cocktails, alcohol enthusiasts can also look forward to sampling handcrafted small-batch spirits like Don Papa rum from the Philippines and Pothecary gin from the UK at the Artisanal Spirits Tasting Room, and watch international bartending teams take on challenges at the Asia Bar Battle. Both of these highlights were crowd hits at last year’s edition. If you’re feeling peckish, satiate your hunger at the Food Street, where delicious bites by Ninja Bowl, Sinfonia Ristorante (previously known as FOO’D) and other participating restos await you. As for music, the eclectic lineup features resident DJs of CÉ LA VI like Brendon P, who is known for his disco-influenced grooves. Expect anything from funk to soul and disc!

Sasha Wijidessa from Operation Dagger

Don’t miss the festival workshops, too; we’re most excited for the TGIF (Thank God Its Fermented) workshop led by guest bartender Sasha Wijidessa of Operation Dagger, which offers a close-up look into the history and origin of fermentation in society and how the age old technique has made its way into the bars around the world.

Discounts and deals

Ticket holders get a free Cocktail Passport (worth $15), where they can snare exclusive food and beverage deals during the period of the festival. Participating bars include Bar Stories, Potato Head Folk, Court Martial Bar and Mitzo Restaurant & Bar.

There are three ticket tiers: $28, $35 and $50. The first option includes one-day entry to the Festival Village, an exclusive three-piece cocktail shaker set (worth $50) and a Cocktail Passport, while the second tier includes a cocktail (worth $12) on top of it. Or, you can opt for the $50 ticket, which also includes a tasting card for the Artisanal Spirits Tasting Room (worth $19), as well as a cocktail.

About Anthia Chng

When she's not trawling through Youtube for the latest beauty trends, Anthia spends her time reading up on the hottest restaurants and bars to visit. Desserts make her knees go weak, but if you really want to win her over, anything with salted caramel, peanut butter or matcha will work.